Pocket Adventures Switzerland

572 Pages·2010·57.57 MB·English

by  Kimberly Rinker

PPOOCCKKEETT DDVVEENNTTUURREESS
Kimberly Rinker
PPOOCCKKEETT DDVVEENNTTUURREESS
SWITZERLAND
Kimberly Rinker
HHUUNNTTEERR
HUNTERPUBLISHING,INC,
30MayfieldAve,Edison,NJ08837
(cid:1)732-476-6778;800-255-0343;fax[phone]
www.hunterpublishing.com
UlyssesTravelPublications
4176Saint-Denis,Montréal,Québec
CanadaH2W2M5
(cid:1)514-843-9882,ext.2232;fax[phone]
WindsorBooks
5,CastleEndPark,CastleEndRd,Ruscomb
Berkshire,RG109XQEngland
(cid:1)01189-346-367/fax[phone]
ISBN978-1-58843-664-1
©2008HunterPublishing,Inc.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyform,orbyany
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise,withoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
Thisguidefocusesonrecreationalactivities.Asallsuchactivities
containelementsofrisk,thepublisher,author,affiliatedindividuals
and companies disclaim responsibility for any injury, harm, or
illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the
information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the
accuracyofinformationinthisbook,butthepublisherandauthor
do not assume, and hereby disclaim, liability for any loss or
damagecausedbyerrors,omissions,misleadinginformationor
potentialtravelproblemscausedbythisguide,evenifsucherrors
oromissionsresultfromnegligence,accidentoranyothercause.
Coverphoto:
Maps©2007HunterPublishing,Inc.
IndexbyNancyWolff
1 2 3 4
Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
TheLand 7
Government 10
TheEconomy 12
ThePeople 13
Food 14
TheAdventures 15
TravelonaBudget 18
PlacesYouMustSee 26
ZÜRICH&NORTHEASTERNSWITZERLAND 35
CantonZürich(ZH) 38
StadtZürich 38
CantonSchaffhausen(SH) 57
Schaffhausen 58
CantonThurgau(TG) 65
Frauenfeld 66
Kreuzlingen 69
CantonSt.Gallen(SG) 73
StadtSanktGallen 73
Rorschach 79
BadRagaz 84
TheToggenburgValley 87
Walenstadt&theChurfirsten 88
Rapperswil 90
CantonAppenzellAusserrhoden(AR) 91
Heiden 92
Herisau 96
CantonAppenzellInnerrhoden(AI) 97
Appenzell 98
CANTONGRAUBÜNDEN(GR) 111
Chur 114
Flims 120
Arosa 125
Davos 135
Klosters 145
St.Moritz 153
Pontresina 173
TheBerninastrasse&PoschiavoValley 175
Silvaplana 176
iv Contents
Sils 178
Maloja 180
Samedan&Celerina 182
Zuoz 184
S-Chanf 185
Guarda 186
Switzerland’sNationalPark 186
StayingOvernightinthePark 190
Schuls 191
TheValMüstairRegion 192
Tschierv 192
Fuldera 193
Sta.MariaimMünstertal 194
Müstair 195
SouthwesternGraubünden 197
WesternGraubünden&theOberalpPassRoad 201
CENTRALSWITZERLAND 205
CantonLucerne(LU) 206
Lucerne 206
CantonZug(ZG) 221
TheCityofZug 222
Baar 229
Cham 230
Menzingen 232
Oberägeri 232
Risch-Rotkreuz 233
CantonSchwyz(SZ) 233
Schwyz 234
Goldau 241
Brunnen 244
Einsiedeln 248
Rigi 251
CantonGlarus(GL) 255
Glarus 256
Braunwald 259
Elm 261
Filzbach&theKerenzerbergRange 263
Urnerboden 265
CantonUri(UR) 267
Altdorf 268
Amsteg 273
Andermatt 278
CantonNidwalden(NW) 283
Stans 284
Contents v
CantonObwalden(OW) 285
Sarnen 286
Alpnachstad&theAlpnachRegion 290
TheSachselnRegion 293
Engelberg 295
NORTHERNSWITZERLAND 301
CantonBasel-Stadt(BS) 302
Basel 302
CantonBasel-Land(BL) 311
Liestal 311
CantonJura(JU) 316
Delémont 317
Saignelégier 321
CantonSolothurn(SO) 323
Solothurn 324
Olten 329
CantonAargau(AG) 330
Aarau 330
CANTONBERN(BE) 335
TheBerneseMittelland 336
Bern 336
LangnauimEmmental 351
Biel-Bienne 352
TheBerneseOberland:WesternRegion 355
Thun 355
Spiez 358
Zweisimmen 360
Gstaad 360
Lenk 367
Frutigen 370
Adelboden 370
Kandersteg 375
TheBerneseOberland:EasternRegion 379
Interlaken 379
Brienz 387
Lauterbrunnen 388
Mürren 390
Wengen 394
Grindelwald 396
Meiringen 404
LAKEGENEVA&WESTERNSWITZERLAND 409
CantonGeneva(GE) 410
Geneva 412
vi Contents
CantonVaud(VD) 427
Central&EasternVaud 428
Lausanne 428
Montreux 437
Vevey 444
Châteaud’Oex 447
LesDiablerets 450
WesternVaud 452
Morges 452
LaSarraz 454
Vallorbe 455
NorthernVaud 456
Yverdon-les-Bains 456
Avenches 460
CantonNeuchâtel(NE) 461
Neuchâtel 462
LaChaux-de-Fonds 470
LeLocle 474
LesPonts-de-Martel 475
LaSagne 476
Travers 476
Môtiers 476
LeBémont 477
CantonFribourg(FR) 477
Fribourg 477
Murten 482
Gruyères 486
SOUTHERNSWITZERLAND 491
CantonValais(VS) 492
Sion 492
Brig 497
Martigny 501
Verbier 505
Zermatt 509
Saas-Fee 525
Leukerbad 530
CantonTicino(TI) 531
TheSottoceneriRegion 533
Lugano 533
OtherSitesintheSottoceneriRegion 544
TheSopraceneriRegion 544
Bellinzona 544
Locarno 548
Ascona
Contents vii
Index 557
SuggestedReading 565
MAPS
CantonsofSwitzerland insidecover
PrincipalCities,MountainRanges&Lakes 2
Zürich&theNortheast 34
ZürichArea 37
CantonGraubünden 110
CentralSwitzerland 204
Lucerne 211
NorthernSwitzerland 300
Basel 307
CantonBern 334
Bern 339
LakeGeneva&WesternSwitzerland 411
Geneva 413
Lausanne 430
SouthernSwitzerland 490

1
Introduction
Mention Switzerland and
INTHISCHAPTER
people typically think of
the Alps, Heidi, cheese, yo- (cid:1) TheLand 7
deling, chocolate and St. (cid:1) Government 10
Bernards. Yet, this relatively (cid:1) TheEconomy 12
small country – 15,941 (cid:1) ThePeople 13
squaremiles(41,290square (cid:1) Food 14
km)oflandandinlandwater– (cid:1) TheAdventures 15
offers much more than you (cid:1) TravelonaBudget 18
mightexpect.
NestledintheheartofEurope,theSwissConfederation(the
country’sofficialtitle)ishometoover7.5millionpeoplewho
speak four national languages, including their indigenous
tongue, Romansh. The Latin name for Switzerland is
“ConfederatioHelvetica,”fromwhichtheabbreviation“CH”co-
mes.You’llnoticethe“CH”onmanybuildings,products,cars
andonpostalcodesthroughoutSwitzerland.
Forthefirst-timetraveler,Switzerlandisadreamcometrue.
Thecountry–whichcelebratedits700thanniversaryin1991–
isclean,thelocalpeopleandthoseinthetourismindustryare
helpfulandcourteous,andthepublictransportsystemsareun-
matchedanywhereintheworld.Localroadsandhighways(au-
tobahns) are extremely easy for the neophyte visitor to
navigate.Theexperiencedexplorercanreturntimeandagain
tothissmall,mountainouscountryandalwaysfindanewpeak
toascend,anotherpasstohike,anisolatedlaketoswimorfish
in,andanothersmallvillagetoinvestigate.